2006 NCCYM—Preconference Opportunities

The chance to learn and grow begins even before our conference officially starts through our preconference offerings. These events are open to all and in most cases, there is an additional fee.

Preconference Spiritual Retreat: "Enter the Desert—Listen for the Lord"

Wednesday, November 29, 2:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Presenter: Dr. Wilkie Au—renowned spiritual writer and director, and professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University in California.
Cost: $40

Making life-giving choices is a life-long challenge. This retreat will present an approach to discernment (i.e. choosing with God) that integrates the wisdom of Christian tradition and psychology. By providing a broad and inclusive understanding of the multiple ways God can provide guidance, this retreat will help individuals to honor the unique and personal ways that they receive divine guidance, as well as provide guidelines that guard against possible self-deception and personal blind-spots. The retreat will include time for input based on the presenter's new co-authored book, The Discerning Heart, reflective exercises, and small group sharing.

Itinerant Ministers Retreat

Wednesday, November 29, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Presenters: This retreat will be led by those who have been working full time as itinerant ministers for many years.
Cost: $10

Itinerant ministry (those ministers not representing a particular parish, school, or diocese) has a long tradition and heritage within the evangelistic nature of the church. Today’s young church has customary contact with these speakers, singers, and comedians. They meet one another at youth rallies, parish missions, NCYC, World Youth Day, and in school assemblies. This retreat is offered to all those who serve the field of youth ministry as itinerant, or “traveling,” ministers. It will be a time to gather, nourish, and support one another’s ministry.

The morning will be spent taking time to understand how we are called to use our specific giftedness and how to find balance between the work we do, our own relationship with God, and the other relationships in our life. The afternoon will be spent talking nuts and bolts of how to maintain and grow the "business" side of ministry.

National Association of Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders (NACYML) Biennial Membership Meeting and In-service

Topic: Servant Leadership

Join us in reflecting and sharing on our call to leadership and our call to servanthood as we reflect on how we prayerfully continue to serve in our ministries.

Thursday, November 30, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Presenter: Michael Norman Associate Director for the Office of Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Download a pdf info flyer of the biennial membership meeting

Cost: Open to members only at no cost
Not a Member? Join NACYML during the NCCYM registration process. Discover more about the National Association of Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders.

Youth Ministry in the U.S. Military: Third Culture Kids

Thursday, November 30, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Cost: $35
Presenter: Mark Moitoza, Director of Youth Ministry, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Youth ministry leaders in military settings are invited to explore the realities of transitions that military connected youth experience and consider ideas for pastoral responses. The issues presented in the 2005 documentary Brats: Our Journey Home will serve as a starting point for an interactive discussion on the current issues youth and families face in light of multiple deployments. This pre-conference will also explore the development of small groups to foster Catholic faith and opportunities for theological reflection among youth.

Marriage and Ministry: A Couple’s Retreat

Thursday, November 30, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Presenters: Drs. Robert and Maggie McCarty
Cost: Free to registered couples

Balancing the tasks of marriage and ministry can be rewarding, fulfilling, and life-giving—AND—it can be stressful, demanding, and frustrating. This mini-retreat for couples will identify the stressors, pitfalls, and challenges inherent in balancing ministry and marriage, and remind participants of the profound blessings when ministry and marriage mesh.

Maggie and Bob McCarty have a combined sixty years in ministry, fifteen of those married to each other! Maggie is the director of development for the Good Shepherd Center, a residential treatment program for adolescent girls in Baltimore and Bob is the executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. They present workshops and retreats internationally, volunteer on their youth ministry team at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton, MD, and received their Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Indiana.